Chefs and cooks the world over can tell you a similar tale. When it comes time for a cigarette during work there is only one place to go. Relegated really. To the garbage area. As unglamorous as that may sound, in fact, it is a refuge. It is a place where you can go and grab a seat for a quick break from an otherwise hectic day. Surrounded by garbage you sit there and take a moment for quiet contemplation, chat with the kitchen staff and inhale as quick as you can. I’ve got a slow cigarette down to four minutes and a fast one to about two minutes.
I know it sounds crazy that a garbage area can somehow become hallowed or glamorous. But to line cooks, kitchen staff and Chefs the world over it is as beautiful as the most glorious smoking room you have ever seen.
Luis Bunuel once wrote; “If alcohol is queen, then tobacco is her consort. It's a fond companion for all occasions, a loyal friend through fair weather and foul. People smoke to celebrate a happy moment, or to hide a bitter regret. Whether you're alone or with friends, it's a joy for all the senses. What lovelier sight is there than that double row of white cigarettes, lined up like soldiers on parade and wrapped in silver paper? I love to touch the pack in my pocket, open it, savor the feel of the cigarette between my fingers, the paper on my lips, the taste of tobacco on my tongue. I love to watch the flame spurt up, love to watch it come closer and closer, filling me with its warmth.”
But in no way do I advocate people starting smoking. Hypocrite – probably. But that is my demon to battle and someday in order to improve my palate I will quit. For now I just want to cut down. However, being a smoker, as I have, for 22 years, it won’t be easy.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Sunday, December 14, 2008
We Show Up (file under the show must go on)
Obviously with C home our social calendar is filling up more rapidly than the loss prevention room at Macy’s during the Christmas season. Of course you need to be able to balance work with play but sometimes you play a little much and have the choice of calling in dead (not really an option) or doing what every other person longing to be a chef does; SHOW UP!
Friday night C and I were at our good friends C and L. I finished work around 9 as we had a four course dinner party for forty which I addressed in the previous post. After work I had a pint of Guinness while I waited for C. We went to our friends place and drank and had an all around good time until around six am. Fortunately I didn’t have to be at work until three but even still though my head was clear my body was revolting a bit. As such I showed up to work early and made myself the best body repair dish I could after a night of debauchery, a grilled vegetable sandwich with Brie on pannini and truffle scented Poutine. SO GOOD! After that I felt like a million bucks.
One by one the brigade started filing in and it became immediately clear that we all had punished ourselves with a great time the night before. When Chef came in he looked like I felt. He, like most Chefs, suffers from sometimes debilitating arthritis and as such was not only hung over but in any extraordinary amount of pain. As such I immediately stepped up to the plate to make sure that everything ran smoothly.
There were only three of us to run the kitchen as Chef worked on paper work. We ended up not being overly busy but still had a lot to do. I ended up with some assistance from the Garde basically working the front line by myself. I did approximately fourteen steaks, a few chicken, six salmon, five penne, three ravioli, a few grilled veg sandwiches and a whole lot more.
Everything was running smoothly up until the last few orders when my eyes started failing me and I was reading the chits wrong. But, as any self respecting Chef would do I found a way to overcome the problem quickly. On two chits I read the order as if there was only one steak and one salmon. In fact there were two. As such, on the fly, and quickly, I had to get a medium salmon and a medium steak out. Almost without thought I seasoned both of them and put them on the grill to mark them. (By the way this is not the preferred method of cooking but it worked). As food had already gone out to the table I had to get this done quickly. After grill marking them I threw them under the salamander and was able to get them out to the table in less than four minutes after discovering my screw up. I apologized profusely to the waiter as it was my fault and not his that I misread the chit.
When I asked for a quality check after getting it out quickly he let me know that they were very happy, said the food tasted great and had no problem with the slight delay in food getting out.
I credit Reservation with giving me the ability to think quickly on my feet. Both Executive Chef and Director of Operations (not to mention A who has been invaluable to my progression) with teaching me that you need to overcome obstacles quickly. By using your head and not loosing your cool. So I thank all three of you for aiding me in overcoming the obstacles I faced last night.
In the end I have to admit that I feel amazing about being able, despite being somewhat hung over, being able to quickly address a problem. The whole night went off exceptionally well minus the two hiccups and I made sure to thank both the front of house and the brigade for their great work.
The night also gave me an extraordinary opportunity to learn. From our mistakes we learn much more than from our successes and the lessons stay with us for a lifetime. When I take the time to analyze where I was when I started this journey and where I am today I have come to realize that not only am I in the right industry, but I can and will achieve my goal.
After shutting down the kitchen I went to the front of house where the owner was. I had taken the time during the day to make a very special egg Nog which we were giving to the staff as a thank you when they were done their shifts. Walking out I felt very good about our week and what we had accomplished. The owner had the bartender pour me a double eggnog and he thanked me for the week. He let me know that we broke his previous sales record, not just broke it, but smashed it. As I pounded my first egg Nog and grabbed the rum to pour myself another, I felt satisfied that Chef and I and the brigade are starting to make a difference. All the more remarkable when you consider that many restaurants are soon going to feel the pinch of tightened pockets and financial restraint.
The great Canadian actress Mary Pickford once said; “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? START TODAY!
A la prochaine
SDM
Friday night C and I were at our good friends C and L. I finished work around 9 as we had a four course dinner party for forty which I addressed in the previous post. After work I had a pint of Guinness while I waited for C. We went to our friends place and drank and had an all around good time until around six am. Fortunately I didn’t have to be at work until three but even still though my head was clear my body was revolting a bit. As such I showed up to work early and made myself the best body repair dish I could after a night of debauchery, a grilled vegetable sandwich with Brie on pannini and truffle scented Poutine. SO GOOD! After that I felt like a million bucks.
One by one the brigade started filing in and it became immediately clear that we all had punished ourselves with a great time the night before. When Chef came in he looked like I felt. He, like most Chefs, suffers from sometimes debilitating arthritis and as such was not only hung over but in any extraordinary amount of pain. As such I immediately stepped up to the plate to make sure that everything ran smoothly.
There were only three of us to run the kitchen as Chef worked on paper work. We ended up not being overly busy but still had a lot to do. I ended up with some assistance from the Garde basically working the front line by myself. I did approximately fourteen steaks, a few chicken, six salmon, five penne, three ravioli, a few grilled veg sandwiches and a whole lot more.
Everything was running smoothly up until the last few orders when my eyes started failing me and I was reading the chits wrong. But, as any self respecting Chef would do I found a way to overcome the problem quickly. On two chits I read the order as if there was only one steak and one salmon. In fact there were two. As such, on the fly, and quickly, I had to get a medium salmon and a medium steak out. Almost without thought I seasoned both of them and put them on the grill to mark them. (By the way this is not the preferred method of cooking but it worked). As food had already gone out to the table I had to get this done quickly. After grill marking them I threw them under the salamander and was able to get them out to the table in less than four minutes after discovering my screw up. I apologized profusely to the waiter as it was my fault and not his that I misread the chit.
When I asked for a quality check after getting it out quickly he let me know that they were very happy, said the food tasted great and had no problem with the slight delay in food getting out.
I credit Reservation with giving me the ability to think quickly on my feet. Both Executive Chef and Director of Operations (not to mention A who has been invaluable to my progression) with teaching me that you need to overcome obstacles quickly. By using your head and not loosing your cool. So I thank all three of you for aiding me in overcoming the obstacles I faced last night.
In the end I have to admit that I feel amazing about being able, despite being somewhat hung over, being able to quickly address a problem. The whole night went off exceptionally well minus the two hiccups and I made sure to thank both the front of house and the brigade for their great work.
The night also gave me an extraordinary opportunity to learn. From our mistakes we learn much more than from our successes and the lessons stay with us for a lifetime. When I take the time to analyze where I was when I started this journey and where I am today I have come to realize that not only am I in the right industry, but I can and will achieve my goal.
After shutting down the kitchen I went to the front of house where the owner was. I had taken the time during the day to make a very special egg Nog which we were giving to the staff as a thank you when they were done their shifts. Walking out I felt very good about our week and what we had accomplished. The owner had the bartender pour me a double eggnog and he thanked me for the week. He let me know that we broke his previous sales record, not just broke it, but smashed it. As I pounded my first egg Nog and grabbed the rum to pour myself another, I felt satisfied that Chef and I and the brigade are starting to make a difference. All the more remarkable when you consider that many restaurants are soon going to feel the pinch of tightened pockets and financial restraint.
The great Canadian actress Mary Pickford once said; “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired? START TODAY!
A la prochaine
SDM
Four Course Dinner Party for Forty (file under differences between current and past reality)
This year I have been a piece in the puzzle of joyful occasions for approximately six or seven thousand people. When I do my yearly roundup in middle January I can give you a more specific number but for the purposes of this post I believe that number will suffice.
At Reservation the function or banquet team had delivering happiness down to a science. L and I worked tirelessly to ensure that we made food look and taste good. We knew without thinking because of the number of functions that we worked how to do things and make the show run smoothly. I have to admit, I kind of miss the well oiled machine that was our function team. We could do functions at Reservation for twenty five as well as we did for six hundred or even double that.
So on Friday night at Without Reservation on top of our regular service we had a four course meal for forty, which incidentally, was going at the height of service, which made it rather interesting.
Simple set up, salad, soup, mains and desert. Salad was either a Caesar or house salad. Soup was a tomato herb. Main choices were steak, chicken or salmon and desert was crème brûlée. Chef and I have had experience doing parties like this and have it down to a second nature.
In order to smoothly run a function there are certain things that must be done in order to ensure that the food is good, the service is good and that it goes well. From our end Chef and I and the brigade knew what we were doing and how to do it. The Front of House well that is a whole different matter.
At Reservation it was a well oiled machine. Everyone knew their respective roles and how to fulfill to the best of our abilities. I feel that at Without Reservation the Front of House staff does not necessarily have much experience with doing parties such as this. And it showed.
To my eye, orders did not go smoothly. The count initially was wrong which adversely affects our ability to put out the right amount of proteins in a timely fashion. Naturally Chef and I were able to deal with it but it is my observation. So rather than having a coherent order sheet we had to three separate times try to figure out the front of house notations and in fact walk them through giving us the information in a meaningful way so that we could do our job. It worked out fine though and just took us a few shakes of the tree to get it right with the front of house. THIS IS NOT CRITICISM, it is OBSERVATION and more over is something that Chef and I will be able to correct going forward based on our experience.
The food we put out looked good, tasted great and was well received by the customer. He and his team will be back which is always a nice feeling. Compliments were sent from the client to the kitchen and I felt pretty good about what we accomplished.
Samuel Johnson once said; “Art and nature have stores inexhaustible by human intellects; and every moment produces something new to him who has quickened his faculties by diligent observation”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
At Reservation the function or banquet team had delivering happiness down to a science. L and I worked tirelessly to ensure that we made food look and taste good. We knew without thinking because of the number of functions that we worked how to do things and make the show run smoothly. I have to admit, I kind of miss the well oiled machine that was our function team. We could do functions at Reservation for twenty five as well as we did for six hundred or even double that.
So on Friday night at Without Reservation on top of our regular service we had a four course meal for forty, which incidentally, was going at the height of service, which made it rather interesting.
Simple set up, salad, soup, mains and desert. Salad was either a Caesar or house salad. Soup was a tomato herb. Main choices were steak, chicken or salmon and desert was crème brûlée. Chef and I have had experience doing parties like this and have it down to a second nature.
In order to smoothly run a function there are certain things that must be done in order to ensure that the food is good, the service is good and that it goes well. From our end Chef and I and the brigade knew what we were doing and how to do it. The Front of House well that is a whole different matter.
At Reservation it was a well oiled machine. Everyone knew their respective roles and how to fulfill to the best of our abilities. I feel that at Without Reservation the Front of House staff does not necessarily have much experience with doing parties such as this. And it showed.
To my eye, orders did not go smoothly. The count initially was wrong which adversely affects our ability to put out the right amount of proteins in a timely fashion. Naturally Chef and I were able to deal with it but it is my observation. So rather than having a coherent order sheet we had to three separate times try to figure out the front of house notations and in fact walk them through giving us the information in a meaningful way so that we could do our job. It worked out fine though and just took us a few shakes of the tree to get it right with the front of house. THIS IS NOT CRITICISM, it is OBSERVATION and more over is something that Chef and I will be able to correct going forward based on our experience.
The food we put out looked good, tasted great and was well received by the customer. He and his team will be back which is always a nice feeling. Compliments were sent from the client to the kitchen and I felt pretty good about what we accomplished.
Samuel Johnson once said; “Art and nature have stores inexhaustible by human intellects; and every moment produces something new to him who has quickened his faculties by diligent observation”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
